We All Fall Down
by China Smith
Summary: "By the way, my name's Mani." She offered him her hand. "I don't care." Zuko replied without facing her. Life in the Earth Kingdom has never been particularly exciting, but when a scarred stranger appears in Plain's Village, she realises that she now has a way out. However, Zuko constantly warns her that he'll only let her down and Mani isn't aware of how right he is. (ZukoxOC)
1. The Stranger

**China: Hey everybody, its China here and sorry for not being active on this account. I know I haven't updated Yuma's Twin Sister for a while but I don't exactly like how Zexal ended and I feel like I messed up with the story somewhere so its hard writing for it -_-**

 **Anywho, I've had this story stored on my computer for quite some time and now I'm ready to publish it! This story contains my OC Mani and if you're curious to know what she looks like, I've used a picture of her as my cover picture :) It was drawn by my friend on Deviantart, Manga-Samurai. I quite admire the second season of TLAB because Zuko developed a lot and even without firebending, he's still a strong fighter.**

 **The first chapter takes place during 'Zuko Alone' and it will be following the series slightly differently. Thank you to anybody who reads this and chooses to follow and favourite. I apologise for this being over 7k but I didn't want to split it in half and I wanted to set the scene. Now enjoy and reviews are encouraged along with any critique. Sorry for it not being an update for YTS, I wanted to write something different for another fandom and I'll try to prioritise my update list.**

 **Also after this chapter, I'll probably write more in first person then in third person because I prefer it.**

* * *

 **"No, this is not the beginning of a new chapter in my life; this is the beginning of a new book! That first book is already closed, ended, and tossed into the seas; this new book is newly opened, has just begun! Look, it is the first page! And it is a beautiful one!"**  
 **― C. JoyBell C**

Zuko was not used to being alone.

Granted he may have been banished from the Fire Nation for the past two years, but he still had his uncle and crew to accompany him. The Earth Kingdom paled greatly in comparison to the splendour the past Fire Nation, although the change of scenery was a significant improvement over the sea. Suddenly Zuko's stomach growled and a pain erupted through his abdomen, he used his free hand to rub circles on it in an attempt to soothe it. Granted Zuko had had the opportunity to rob a young couple for supplies but after seeing the woman's swollen belly and realising that they were traveling on foot, his morals kicked in and he knew that they were in a worse off situation then he was.

So he went past them without a second glance. Zuko wasn't sure if it was the sleep deprivation or the dehydration that was making him reconsider if his father was right. Maybe his kindness was a weakness? The raven haired prince instantly shook the thoughts out of his head. No. He wasn't weak. His time apart from Uncle Iroh was to prove that. Iroh had taught Zuko everything that he possibly know, but Zuko lacked real world experience. For all of his life, all his decisions had been made for him and his destiny had spiralled out of his control. Never had Zuko felt this vulnerable before. Paranoia flooded through him, what if some passer-by recognised him as the banished son of Fire Lord Ozai?

Zuko knew that in his current state, he was in no position to fight anybody off. He was too fatigued, his broadswords training and even his firebending had abandoned him. So when Zuko finally saw a village after seeing nothing but sand for the last few hours, he thought that he was hallucinating. For starters, it was in the middle of nowhere. However when he saw an Earth Kingdom girl ride up to him on an ostrich horse, he knew that it wasn't a figment of his imagination.

She had to be around Zuko's age and if not for her green clothes, he would have mistaken her for a resident of the Fire Nation. Her eyes were a shade of fine amber, she had long flowing raven hair with a small portion tied into a top bun and dark olive skin from countless hours working in the sun. She smirked at him before passing by.

'I guess I know where I'm headed.' He thought, snapping the reigns of his ostrich horse as it whined before speeding down the hill.

* * *

The first thought that popped into Zuko's head was how barren everything was. There was no grass and he was taken aback by how every building was crudely built out of rotting wood. He knew that the war had hit the other nations hard, but he wasn't aware that it was this bad.

"Can I have some water, a bag of feed and something hot to eat?" Zuko slid two gold coins out onto the counter.

The merchant looked weary, "There's not enough here for a hot meal. I can get you two bags of feed though."

Zuko bent his head down in shame, growing increasingly irked by the laughter a small group of villagers were making. It was official, he had reached an all-time low. That was when he noticed the two giggling small boys bent down next to the counter, holding something white in his hand. It wasn't until the boy threw it that he realised it was an egg, flying towards the gamblers. They instantly sprang to their feet, drawing weapons and pointing them at Zuko.

"Ow!" The hit soldier yelped as egg dripped off his head. "Hey!" The leader of the soldiers shouted when all they saw was the stranger by the merchant's counter, "You throwing eggs at us, stranger?"

"No." Agni, these men were annoying. It was just an egg, why were they overreacting?

"Well then," the leader stroked the two hammers hanging around his waist. "Did you see who did?"

"No." Zuko replied shortly without turning around, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his Dao swords, "No."

Two young boys were hardly enough to get riled over, kids being kids and everything. Growing up, he and Azula got up to all sorts of mischief that Ursa had to break up. Tears almost cascaded down Zuko's cheeks, even after seven years the raw pain he felt after his mother's disappearance still burned within him.

"That your favourite word, no?" The soldier that had gotten hit with the egg demanded aggressively.

"Egg had to come from somewhere." The leader stated, ignoring what his man had just said as he glared at Zuko.

"Maybe a chicken flew off." Zuko responded dryly as he turned back around.

One of the soldiers laughed and the leader glared at him darkly, causing him to shut up instantly. The merchant returned then with two bags of feed in his arms and made to give the bags Zuko, but the leader of the small band of soldiers stepped forward and snatched them away from the merchant.

"Thanks for your contribution. The army appreciates your support" The leader said with sarcastic sincerity as he tossed the bags to one his fellow soldiers, "You better leave town. Penalty for stayin's a lot steeper than you can afford, stranger. Trust me."

Zuko's eyes narrowed dangerously when the leader of the soldiers patted one of the hammers hanging from his waist menacingly while his men walked away.

"Those soldiers are supposed to protect us from the Fire Nation." The merchant commented as the four soldiers walked away with Zuko's feed bags, "But they're just a bunch of thugs."

Zuko didn't say anything as he walked back over to his ostrich-horse and put his foot in the stirrup, preparing to remount the creature. Just as he was about to swing into the saddle one of the boys from earlier appeared on the other side of the animal.

"Thanks for not ratting me out!" the boy said gratefully as he gave Zuko a wide, gap-toothed smile.

Zuko ignored the boy and swung into the saddle, nudging the ostrich-horse forward with his heels. The boy watched the scarred teen with an annoyed look before his expression brightened and he rushed in front of the ostrich-horse, grabbing the reins.

"I'll take you to my house and feed your ostrich-horse for you." The boy offered then began leading the animal away before Zuko could even reply, "C'mon, I owe you!"

Zuko pursed his lips slightly but didn't protest as the boy lead the ostrich-horse through the town by the reins. He gritted his teeth slightly and held his stomach when it began to growl. "Fine."

Unbeknownst to Zuko, the girl from earlier had witnessed the entire fiasco. Golden eyes sparkled with fascination, "Well well well, looks like things are starting to heat up around here." Steam rose from her fingertips.

* * *

Not many things caught Mani's attention, but seeing that teenage boy with the scar enthralled her. Yet not for the reasons one might expect. It was what the scar represented for her. Hardship. Danger. Abandonment. Things she only knows too well. Every morning Mani lived in fear that the Fire Nation would return to finish their previous raid.

A lump had risen in her throat, her cousin Sensu had been recruited into the army and she hadn't heard anything from him after almost a month. Her father almost had the misfortune of leaving Plain's Village as well, thankfully an old war injury had immobilized him and left him unfit for active duty. Granted it meant she spend most of her time running errands for both parents and being unable to form connections with other people her age but it worked out fine for her. Mani still had her cousin Lee to annoy her.

Speaking of which...

"Papa, I'm going round to Auntie Sela's and Uncle Gansu's farm!" Mani shouted into the backroom, pulling off the apron that adorned her pelvis.

"Why?" He shouted back.

"Mama needs me to pick up a package!" She lied, the real reason being she wanted to check out the traveller that Lee had taken back to his family's farm. "Don't worry I'll be back before nightfall!"

Gopan left the backroom and watched to see his daughter mount her ostrich horse. "Just be careful, you know how Gow gets at night. I don't want you getting hurt."

"I can look after myself, after all, I learned from the best." Mani winked, giving Gopan a thumbs up as she snapped the reigns. "Yah!"

* * *

"You don't seem like you're from around here." Lee commented as he watched his father and Zuko re-shingle the roof from the ladder he was resting on.

"Mm-mm." Zuko muttered as he shook his head slightly, trying to focus on doing a good job at re-shingling the roof, but failing slightly.

"Where are you from then?" Lee persisted and Zuko lowered his hammer, looking up at the sky with a faraway expression on his face.

"Far away."

"Ohhh." Lee said interestedly while Zuko picked up the hammer again, "Where are you going?"

"Lee, give it a rest." Gansu scolded as he gave his son a stern look, "Stop asking the man personal questions, got it?"

"Yes." Lee sighed disappointedly and rested his head on his arm.

Suddenly the hybrid pigs in the pen started to squeal loudly, causing all three males to focus their attention on the source of the noise. A figure began to dismount from the ostrich horse and Zuko realised that it was the girl who had smirked at him from earlier. Lee's eyes were filled with excitement and he hastily made his way towards her.

"Cousin Mani!" Lee practically tackled her in a hug, resulting in the two of them to fall into the muddy pig pen. Zuko expectantly waited for her to blow a gasket, instead she laughed loudly and threw a handful of mud into the young boy's face. "It's good to see you too squirt."

"Who's the girl?" Zuko asked Gansu, taking care to not further injure himself with the hammer.

Gansu broke out into a small smile, "That's my niece Mani. Her father's the village merchant, but due to an old war injury he has trouble with strenuous tasks so he sends her out to run errands instead. She's a sweet kid, she even assists us on the farm on occasion since my eldest son Sensu was enlisted."

Almost as if on cue, Mani chose that moment to look up at the roof and winked at Zuko. Flustered, he focused on re-shackling the roof but made little progress. Zuko didn't know how to explain it but the way Mani stared at him was unnerving. Like she knew a secret about him that the others were unaware of. Zuko's stomach dropped, did she know he was associated with the Fire Nation. He quickly rid himself of those thoughts, he was being ridiculous and besides, Zuko wasn't staying this village for too long.

Zuko stared at the shingles as he began reminiscing about the past, the repetitive sound of hammering filling his ears.

The scarred teen turned his back on Mani, she puffed her cheeks out; the least he could do was acknowledge her.

"Mud fight!" Lee grabbed his own handful of mud and slapped it into her hair.

"Kid you've down it now!" Mani wrapped her arms around Lee and the two rolled around in the pen until Sela let out a horrified scream.

"Oh...hey Aunt Sela, you look well." Mani said sheepishly while rubbing her head.

* * *

After some time had passed, Lee and Mani had been washed off and were now sitting down at the dining table along with Gansu, Sela and Zuko. The room was in complete silence until Lee asked, "So how'd you get that scar?"

"It's not nice to bother people about things they might not want to talk about." Gansu scolded his son, more firmly than last time, "A man's past is his business."

Gansu gave his son a hard look before returning to his meal. Mani rested her interlinked fingers underneath her chin and stared at the Fire Nation inhabitant.

"So how long is your guest staying here for?" Mani inquired, eyeing his Dao swords that were now hung over the edge of a chair.

"I'll be gone tomorrow." Zuko bluntly answered, not looking up from his plate.

"Wow, you really don't like talking do you?" She joked, stabbing a piece of meat with a fork.

"Mani..." Sela warned. "Surely at your age you would know better by now."

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" She murmured under her breath. The candle in the centre of the table momentarily flickered, slightly increasing in size before returning to normal size.

* * *

Nightfall had hit Plain's Village and Mani was now departing from the pig farm.

"It was good seeing you again Mani. Say hi to your mother from me." The older brunette woman embraced her niece who returned it.

"You too, I hope you hear from Sensu soon. He is probably alright, I bet the messengers are just too afraid to travel to the front line." She proclaimed, mounting her ostrich horse.

"I hope that's all it is." Sela sighed, watching Mani's figure retreat into the distance.

Mani hadn't gotten far from her uncle's house when she was stopped by two soldiers. She recognized them from earlier as part of the group who had taken the stranger's feed.

"What are you doing out at this time?" The Earth soldier demanded, drawing his sword for emphasis.

Mani dismounted from her ostrich horse, holding her hands up in a sign of surrender.

"Is it nightfall already?" She appeared to be surprised at the darkness enveloping the sky. "I must have lost track of time, why don't you just let me off with a warning and I promise this'll never happen again."

Just as the ravenette was about to remount, the soldier pointed his sword at her, "Not so fast little missy, you said the same thing last week and the week before! How do I know you're not an agent of the Fire Nation?"

She snorted, "That's ridiculous. Why would the Fire Nation send a fifteen year old girl to spy on this godforsaken village?"

The soldier did not look amused, "For that exact reason. Nobody would suspect a young girl to bring about our destruction."

Mani burst out laughing, wiping a tear away from her eyes at the ridiculous accusation. "Hahaha you slay me. I'll just be on my way, pleasure speaking to you as always." Mani took a step back and was met with a muscular man who held a blade at her throat. "You're not going anywhere, in fact I think we're taking you to Gow."

Bile rose up in Mani's throat, "You can't do that! The man has no human decency!" She instantly covered her mouth at her words. 'Oh shit.'

Both men exchanged a look with each other and the solider tightened his grip on the younger girl. "You just insulted the leader of our army, you're in trouble now girl!"

Seeing no other way out, Mani stared to the ground as she gripped the flat edge of the sword with both green gloved hands. A large flame emitted from them and started to melt the steel until it was broken into three pieces. Before the man could react at his weapon being dismantled, Mani propelled herself backwards with a small flame jet and used the added force to elbow him into the nearby fence.

"Firebender!" The solider who had threatened Mani lunged towards her, so she drew her own metal fan from her waist.

Mani waited for him to be within arm's length of her and used her fan to push him backwards, knocking him off of his feet. Before either man could rise to their feet, she remounted her steed and rode off.

"Hey! Get back here!" They protested, watching the firebender ride off into the distance.

* * *

 _Zuko laid on his side in the middle of his large bed, staring at the wall blankly then he jerked into a sitting position when he heard his door suddenly creak open. His eyes narrowed he saw Azula leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed._

 _"Dad's going to kill you." She said in a sing-song voice then her tone turned serious as she turned her head to smirk cruelly at her brother, "Really, he is."_

 _"Ha-ha, Azula." Zuko replied drily as he sat up and glared at his sister, "Nice try."_

 _"Fine, don't believe me. But I heard everything. Grandfather said Dad's punishment should fit his crime." Azula said indifferently as she walked further into the room then imitated Azulon's voice, "You must know the pain of losing a first-born son! By sacrificing your own!'"_

 _"Liar!" Zuko snapped in angry disbelief._

 _"I'm only telling you for your own good." Azula snipped with a sniff then her expression brightened and she sat on the edge of Zuko's bed, "I know! Maybe you could find a nice Earth Kingdom family to adopt you!"_

 _"Stop it!" Zuko barked, now angrier than disbelieving as he glared at his sister, "You're lying! Dad would never do that to me!"_

 _"You father would never do what to you?" Ursa asked curiously as she appeared in the doorway of Zuko's room and looked between her two children, "What is going on here."_

 _"I don't know…" Azula said innocently, her eyes widening slightly when Ursa walked into the room and grabbed her by the arm._

 _"It's time for a talk." Ursa stated firmly as she pulled her daughter out of Zuko's room, Azula reluctantly following her._

 _Zuko gripped his blanket tightly and closed his eyes as his mother and sister left his room, the door closing behind them._

 _"Azula always lies. Azula always lies." He muttered like a mantra…'_

* * *

"Azula always lies…" Zuko muttered to himself after the memory faded and he stared up at the sky, lying in the green grass on a hill several miles from the farm.

The scarred prince sat up when he heard an ostrich-horse squawking then he blinked in slight surprise when he saw Sela sitting at the front of a hay cart.

"You have to help! It's Lee—the thugs from town came back as soon as Gansu left. When they ordered us to give them food, Lee pulled a knife on them! I don't even know where he got a knife! Then they took him away!" Sela called out desperately as she hopped off the cart and approached Zuko, sobs catching in her throat, "They told me if he's old enough to fight, he'd old enough to join the army. I know we barely know you, but…"

"I'll get your son back." Zuko promised as he got to his feet and headed over to his ostrich-horse, which had been grazing quietly several feet away.

Zuko rode through the small archway that served as the entrance into the small town, the sun setting behind him. The people that had been outside quickly scattered and hurried back into their homes or stores when they saw him coming. Zuko's eyes narrowed when he spotted Lee tied to one of the water tower's posts.

"Hey! There he is!" Lee exclaimed excitedly as he lifted his head and stared hopefully at Zuko as the older teen approached him, "I told you he'd come!"

The Earth Kingdom soldiers quickly got to their feet and walked out from under to the tower as they prepared to face the stranger while Gow exited one of the buildings across the street.

Zuko pulled his ostrich-horse to a stop then dismounted and took off his hat.

"Let the kid go." Zuko ordered as he took a few steps forward and stood in front of Gow and his men.

Gow laughed loudly then quickly regained composure and glared at Zuko, "Who do you think you are, telling us what to do?"

"It doesn't matter who I am." Zuko replied calmly, "But I know who you are. You're not soldier, you're bullies. Freeloaders, abusing your power, mostly over women and kids. You don't want Lee in your army—you're sick cowards messing with a family who's already lost one son to the war."

"Are you gonna let this stranger stand there and insult you like this?" Gow demanded as he looked at one of his men.

The soldier scowled then charged forward with his spear in hand. The man thrusted his spear at Zuko's head, but the scarred prince sidestepped easily then he ducked down and unsheathed his Dao blades slightly, punching the man in the stomach with the hilt. Zuko straightened and sheathed his sword, watching passively as the man slid feet across the ground then began to crawl away hurriedly.

The soldier scowled then charged forward with his spear in hand. The man thrusted his spear at Zuko's head, but the scarred prince sidestepped easily then he ducked down and unsheathed his Dao blades slightly, punching the man in the stomach with the hilt. Zuko straightened and sheathed his sword, watching passively as the man slid feet across the ground then began to crawl away hurriedly.

The other's soldiers watched their comrade run away then one of the shook his head with a growl and runs to attack Zuko with his own spear. Zuko shifted back a step then lunged forward as the man's spear came at him and he pushed the weapon up and to the side, then he grabbed the man's forehead and pushed him to the ground roughly. The man gaped up at him for a moment then scrambled to his feet and ran the other way, following the first soldier's example by fleeing down the street.

Zuko glanced to the side and turned when he saw a third soldier charging at him with his spear raised offensively. The scarred teen stood impassively the man got closer then he took a step forward and kicked the spear right in the middle once it was closer enough, snapping it in half. The spearhead, along with the upper half of the spear goes flying in the other direction and the soldier gasped, dropping what was left of his spear then turning tail and running away like the two previous soldiers. Lee cackled loudly from his spot still tied to the post, a huge grin on his face as a crowd gathered along the streets to watch the fight, his mother among the crowd.

Gow's eyes narrowed as he watched the last of his men run away in terror then he unhooked his dual hammers from his waist and turned to face the scarred young man, shifting into a fighting stance. Zuko unsheathed his Dao blades then pulled them apart as he shifted into his own fighting stance.

With a grunt, Gow slammed one hammer into the ground and Earthbended up a rock from the ground then he used his second hammer to launch the rock at Zuko, who easily shattered it with a single slash from both of his swords. Gow's eyes narrowed again and he quickly attacked again, this time Earthbending up three large rocks which he launched at Zuko with his hammers in quick succession. Zuko gritted his teeth and deflected the first two with the edges of his swords, but the third one caught him in the stomach and caused him to stumble back a few steps. The scarred teen quickly straightened, unperturbed by the blow, then he charged at Gow with his swords crossed in front of him.

"Give him a left!" An old man in the crowd cheered, "A left."

"It's not a fistfight…" The old man's wife stated drily as she looked at her husband.

"He's got a left sword, don't he?" The old man retorted with a huff and the old woman rolled her eyes.

Gow smirked slightly and Earthbended up three rocks again, launching them at Zuko in quick succession as the young man charged at him. Zuko responded the same way he did last time, easily deflecting the first two as he continued to run towards Gow, but he brought his swords in front of his chest to deflect the last one a little too late and it struck him in the abdomen, knocking him onto his back. Zuko quickly used the momentum from his fall to somersault backwards and to his feet, though he stumbled back several feet. Gow smirked cruelly.

"Look out!" the old man shouted worriedly from the crowd.

"Behind you!" Lee shouted a moment after the man, his eyes widening as he watched Gow use Earthbending and his hammers to launch several larger rocks at Zuko.

Zuko grunted quietly each time he deflected one of the increasingly larger rocks with his blades and he was forced back a step with each attack. Gow continued Earthbending rocks at Zuko, giving him little to no time to recover from each hit. Both men were fighting at full force, although only Gow was on the offensive since Zuko was too busy deflecting the Earthbender's rocks to actually attack Gow.

Gow smirked savagely and sent one more rock at Zuko then stopped, but before the scarred young man could recover, Gow Earthbended a small avalanche at him. The crowd and Lee gasped in shock and horror as the rocks slammed into him and sent him flying back several feet where he landed roughly on the on his back, his head slamming into the ground. Zuko clenched his eyes shut and gritted his teeth as the sudden pain caused his mind to flashback to the past.

 _'Zuko slept peacefully in his bed the same night Azula had come into his room saying his father was going to kill him when he was suddenly shaken awake._

 _"Mom?" He mumbled drowsily as his eyes opened and he looked up at her blearily._

 _"Zuko, please, my love, listen to me." Ursa said urgently as she pulled her son into a sitting position, her hands on his shoulders, "Everything I've done, I've done to protect you."_

 _She quickly pulled her barely conscious son into a tight embrace, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head. She quickly glanced over her shoulder when she heard footsteps then she held Zuko at arms' length again._

 _"Remember this, Zuko." She said pleadingly, "No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are."_

 _Ursa pressed another kiss to his forehead then stood up and turned away from him, pulling the hood of her cloak up then she disappeared down the dark hallway…'_

Zuko shuddered slightly as the flashback faded but he didn't open his eyes, his ears easily picking up the sounds of Gow approaching him.

"Get up…!" Zuko heard Lee whisper worriedly from several yards away.

Gow smirked down at the prone form and raised his hammers for the final blow when Zuko's eyes suddenly snapped opened. Zuko grabbed his swords from the ground and he twisted around fluidly as he rose to his feet, Firebending a hurricane of flames around him as he rose. Gow cried out in shock and dropped his hammers as the flames knocked him onto his back. The flames cleared and Gow stared up in horror at the seething, scarred young man standing above him with his Dao blade at his sides.

Gow scowled then rolled to his feet and raised his fists, determined to finish the fight even though he was now unarmed. Zuko snarled and charged the other man, slashing his swords as he shot multiple fireballs at Gow. The Earthbender threw up a shield of rock in an attempt to deflect the fireballs, but the blasts are too powerful and he is knocked backwards again, this time hitting the side of a building, debris falling onto his head.

"Who…who are you?" Gow demanded weakly, lifting his head to stare at the scarred young man.

"My name is Zuko. Son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai." Zuko replied proudly as he stood in front of the downed Earthbender, his Dao blades smoking slightly at his side then he sheathed them, "Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, and heir to the throne."

* * *

After the events of last night, Mani had no choice but to keep out of the public eye lest the soldiers attacked her family. However after hearing all the ruckus centred around the watch tower, she couldn't help but peer out from her hiding spot and was met with a solider sliding past her on his back. Curiosity enveloped her and she decided to get a better look at who was causing all of this.

At that moment, the scarred teen kicked a soldier's spear in half and the man ran away in fear. The only man standing was now Gow, a proficient Earthbender.

'I wonder what they're fighting about.' Mani thought, her blood running cold after she realised that Lee was tied against a post. 'Lee?! What have I missed?!'

Gow smirked savagely and sent one more rock at Zuko then stopped, but before the scarred young man could recover, Gow Earthbended a small avalanche at him. The crowd and Lee gasped in shock and horror as the rocks slammed into him and sent him flying back several feet where he landed roughly on the on his back, his head slamming into the ground. Zuko clenched his eyes shut and gritted his teeth.

Mani was about to strike the distracted Earthbender with her metal fans - until she realised that she had left it on her ostrich horse. 'Oh no this is bad! He wouldn't have gotten into this fight if Lee didn't get captured. I have to do something, but I'm unarmed.'

Suddenly, the teen's eyes snapped opened and grabbed his swords from the ground, twisting around fluidly as he rose to his feet, Firebending a hurricane of flames around him as he rose. Gow cried out in shock and dropped his hammers as the flames knocked him onto his back. The flames cleared and Gow stared up in horror at the seething, scarred young man standing above him with his Dao blade at his sides.

Gow scowled then rolled to his feet and raised his fists, determined to finish the fight even though he was now unarmed. The teen snarled and charged the other man, slashing his swords as he shot multiple fireballs at Gow. The Earthbender threw up a shield of rock in an attempt to deflect the fireballs, but the blasts are too powerful and he is knocked backwards again, this time hitting the side of a building, debris falling onto his head.

Now it was Mani's turn for her mouth to drop open. 'He's a Firebender?! Oh my gosh that's incredible! I've never met one up close in real life before! I wonder how he did that flame thing with his swords, I wanna be able to do that with my fans! Maybe he'll teach me if I ask him really nicely or something!'

"Who…who are you?" Gow demanded weakly, lifting his head to stare at the scarred young man.

"My name is Zuko. Son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai." Zuko replied proudly as he stood in front of the downed Earthbender, his Dao blades smoking slightly at his side then he sheathed them, "Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, and heir to the throne."

'So that's his name.' Mani crossed her arms, 'Prince of the Fire Nation huh? He's perfect!'

"Liar!" The old man that had been cheering him on previously shouted angrily, "I heard of you! You're not a prince, you're an outcast! His own father burned and disowned him!"

At that moment, the two men from last night appeared carrying new weapons. Zuko un-sheathed his swords in anticipation but instead of engaging him they walked right past him and pointed their spears at Mani.

"You!" One exclaimed, it was evident by the look on his face that he wasn't leaving anything to chance this time.

Mani held her hands up in mock-surrender, "Gentleman let's be reasonable about this."

He twirled his spear around and charged at her. Unarmed, all Mani could do was backflip in an attempt to avoid his attacks. The other man interceded, grabbing her leg and throwing her across the ground. Mani had barely anytime to recover when the first man plunged his spear into the ground, narrowly missing her after she propelled herself to her feet using her shoulders.

'Damn, they're way more alert this time.' Mani scowled, 'Do I just keep dodging them and hope they tire out?'

The second man who had attacked her took out the rope dart he had wrapped around his waist and used it to ensnare one of Mani's wrists, pulling her towards him with all of his strength before kicking her in the abdomen, knocking her to the ground. Then, while the rope dart was still attached to her, he flung her forward into one of the watchtower legs.

Mani could feel all her breath being knocked out of her and was certain that her back was now bruised. Gold eyes hastily flashed between the two men, seeing no other way out, she prepared her counterattack.

Once again, the solider smiled and prepared himself to launch the young teen - until she feebly managed to grab onto the rope and set it alight. It spread up the length of the rope and split in half. Mani then ran towards him, shooting a fireball at the ground before using the propulsion to punch him in the face.

Shock rippled throughout the crowd, even Gopan couldn't hide his disappointment. Mani closed her eyes in shame, 'I'm sorry Papa but I can't hide who I am anymore.'

The soldier carrying the spear twirled it around and hit the ground with it. "You're a Firebender! I knew it, you're probably working with him!" He gestured to Zuko and Mani ran a hand through her hair.

"No I'm not! Why don't you just leave me alone and we can move on with our lives." Mani narrowed her eyes, holding her fists in front of her.

Instead of answering her, he simply charged and she had no choice but to keep sidestepping until his accomplice managed to knock her off her feet. Caught off guard, the armed solider began to swing with powerful blows that succeeded in knocking her back a few feet. Helpless, all Mani could do was block the attacks to the best of her ability trying to spot an opening, growing increasingly agitated.

'I can't take much more of these attacks,' she thought. 'I can't keep blocking, I won't win like this.'

On that note, he kicked Mani in the stomach leaving her sprawled on the floor. She stayed silent for a few seconds, her eyes glowing with determination and she managed to rise to her feet. Mani slammed her fists together, flames enveloping her hands before she charged at the armed guard. Once Mani got close, he started to swing at her but she managed to duck with ease and lashed out with an array of fireballs. Distracted, he started to swing around wildly allowing Mani to land a couple of powerful punches that succeeded in breaking his spear in half.

Now unarmed, Mani used a small jet of fire to propel her elbow into his abdomen. He knelt over in pain and was knocked back a step, allowing Mani to grab his arm and spin him around, snapping her leg out and kicking him square in the forehead. He fell limply to the ground and was carted off by the remaining Earth Kingdom soldiers.

Mani breathed heavily, glad that the battle was over before she winced at the sharp pain in her side. She limped over to help untie Lee but Sela had beaten her to it. Zuko who had witnessed the entire debacle, walked over to return the dagger to Lee but Sela blocked both of the Firebender paths.

"Not a step closer!" Sela barked defensively as she stood protectively in front of Lee, leaving the two of them to stop a few feet in front of them.

"It's yours." Zuko said quietly as he held the dagger out to Lee, who was peering at him from around his mother, "You should have it."

"No! I hate you!" Lee shouted angrily.

"Kiddo, hate is a bit of a strong word don't you think?" Mani smiled weakly, holding her hand out towards him until Sela grabbed her wrist and shoved her backwards.

Mani was evidently hurt by this display, her mouth dropping open. "What's wrong?"

"You've been endangering our lives this entire time and you didn't think to tell me?!" Sela exclaimed.

Mani rubbed her head sheepishly, "I won't say 'endangering' per say..."

The brunette woman placed her hands on her hips, "Then what would you call this? You just fought members of the army and for what reason? Mani, you always say you don't mean to do this or mean to do that and yet you still do it."

Tears sprang to the ravenette eyes, "Auntie please, what are you saying?" It felt like her heart was beating out of her chest.

"I'm warning you to stay away from my family and I mean it. You bring nothing but trouble to our door and I'm tired of it." Sela took hold of her son's shoulder and walked away, leaving the crying girl with sobs overcoming her body.

Mani looked around at the remaining villagers, hate and anger filled their eyes and it was aimed solely at her and Zuko. Her worst nightmare had finally happened, she had become an outcast. She rested her eyes onto her father and Gopan slowly turned his head to the side, not being able to look at his daughter.

As Zuko prepared to remount her ostrich-horse, Mani had made up her mind and ran up to him.

"No, wait! You can't leave!" She grabbed the reins of his stolen animal, forcing him to look at her.

"Can't you take a hint? I'm not wanted here." Zuko replied, coldly.

Mani looked up to him in fierce determination, wiping the tears away from her eyes. "Well neither am I. You're a Firebender, correct?"

He rolled his eyes, "Thank you for stating the obvious."

"What I'm trying to say is I think you're really talented and-"

"Does this have a point?" Zuko interrupted, irritated that he was being blocked by the shorter girl.

She snorted, "And what I'm saying is I want you to teach me."

His eyes briefly widened and he shook his head. "No way, I don't have time for this."

Mani's cheeks puffed out, "Look pal, there's no point in you leaving right away. The sun's setting and do you know what type of creatures come out at night? For your own personal safety at least, why don't you spend the night at my house and you can leave the moment the suns risen. Sound fair enough?"

Just as Zuko was about to protest, he thought about the situation pragmatically. The girl did have a point and the fight against the Earth Kingdom soldiers had weakened him. Maybe it would be sensible to take up her offer.

"Fine," he said finally. "But just for the night and once morning hits, we part ways."

Mani did a mini fist pump and climbed on the saddle behind him.

"What are you doing?" He complained, trying to push her off to no avail.

"Well I left my ostrich horse at home and this seemed like the most logical answer." She replied, slapping the animal's behind so that it would start moving.

The villagers gripped their various weapons, watching the pair ride off into the setting sun.

"By the way, my name's Mani." She cheerfully smiled.

"I don't care."

"Spoilsport."


	2. Introduction to Firebending

**China: Oh my gosh thank you so much to the 6 people who faved this story and the 9 followers. I was surprised that this many people would take interest after the first chapter along with the 3 people who reviewed. I hope everybody enjoys this chapter and tell me what you think about it.**

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 ** _"Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good." —Charlotte Whitton_**

Mani's POV

The ride back to my family's shack was uneventful and just plain awkward between the two of us. Zuko simply refused my attempts to make conversation.

"So...what's it like in the Fire Nation?" I inquired.

No response.

Apart from Zuko's occasional grunts when I directed him to my home and apart from the meow-hoots of Cat Owls, it was completely silent. It felt like months had passed when we finally reached my empty home. Papa was still in town handling our stall and I doubted he would be back anytime soon after the chaos Zuko and I unleashed in town.

"This is it?" At least Zuko sounded mildly impressed, maybe because he expected something more run down.

I dismounted off his ostrich horse and got to work fetching water from the well on the lawn.

"Obviously." I rolled my eyes, pulling the bucket up and watched Zuko tying the animal to the fence. "By the way, do you want any tea and the answer better be yes because my arms aren't suffering for no reason."

Zuko folded his arms, his swords jingling around his waist. "Do you need any help?"

"If it isn't any trouble 'Mr. Future-Ruler-of-the-Fire-Nation'." I almost lost my grip on the rope, I really should be focusing on this instead of heckling Zuko.

He lent over the rim from behind me and grabbed hold of the wet rope, assisting me in pulling it up. The muscles in Zuko's arms rippled beneath his skin from the weight of the bucket.

"What's this bucket made out of?" He groaned, "Lead?"

"Sorry I'm not a Waterbender." I said sarcastically, "All I can do is set shit on fire and I don't have to do that as often as you think."

However once the bucket reached the brim of the well, that was when I noticed a long yellow beak and a scaly black back. Oh spirits, not again...

"What is that?" Zuko's grip loosened on the rope in shock, forcing me to bare its full weight.

"You're telling me you've never seen a cranefish before?" I exclaimed. Then again, cranefish are only native to the Earth Kingdom. For some reason, this particular animal really loves to build a nest in my bucket and if I had a gold coin for every time this happened...

The sudden noise frightened the bird and it chose to roost on Zuko's head, aggressively pecking his ear and I had to suppress my laughter.

"Ah!" Zuko swatted at his head, releasing the bucket and spilling the water all over the ground. "Get it off me!" The bird on his head cawed loudly, flapping its wings in frustration.

I frowned, picking up the bucket and almost swung the bucket at him. "Do you know how hard it was for me to get that?! And don't hurt Kiko!"

Zuko and the cranefish stopped flailing around, looking at me with quizzical eyes.

"The cranefish, it's his name." I pointed out, throwing the bucket back into the water.

"But why Kiko?" Zuko insisted, trying to pull Kiko off but his feet managed to get themselves tangled into Zuko's hair.

I shrugged, "Why is the moon called the moon and the sun called the sun? And besides," I cradled Kiko under my arm and stroked his long neck. "Isn't he a cutie?"

* * *

After three more attempts (Kiko kept pecking at Zuko and scaring him away from the well), we finally managed to fetch enough water to start dinner.

Zuko was aggressively rubbing the side of his head, "What is wrong with that demented bird?"

I poured some Jasmine tea into a cup and slid it towards him. "Kiko is not demented, he's just misunderstood. Now shut up and enjoy the free tea, Papa is coming home soon and dinner isn't going to start itself."

He eyed the steaming brown liquid and shuddered, "Why can't your mother cook it? Isn't that her responsibility?"

I almost dropped the teapot, having to choke back my tears and save face. "She's...not in the Earth Kingdom right now. And besides," I had to force a smile on my face. "I can do anything she can, now where were we on you becoming my firebending teacher?"

Mama was a bit of a personal topic, she taught me everything I needed to know to survive in this world but at the same time, I lost her.

Prince Irritable tentatively sipped the tea, choking on it. "How about...never in a million years? And you seem to be doing fine, you did win that fight against those soldiers. And your tea needs work by the way."

I snorted in indignation, snatching the cup out of his hand and taking a swig of it. "First of all, there is nothing wrong me with tea! Your Fire Nation palate just can't handle it, what with all your servants and imported tea. Secondly, even a beginner bender could have taken them down. Haven't you noticed how predictable their fighting style is? I wouldn't have even needed to firebend if I have my fans on me, I'm not the best at unarmed combat."

Zuko eyed my waist, "What fans?"

I crossed my arms, "Well of course I'm not going to wear them in my house, what's the worst that could happen?"

He gestured to his own swords, "You should be prepared for anything. And what makes you think that I could teach you firebending anyway?"

I pulled out the chair next to him and sat down, resting my chin in my hands. "Because seeing you bending fire with your swords is something I've never seen before. When the Fire Nation attacked the neighbouring village, I heard they used ordinary firebending. You know, with punches and kicks. But you were able to concentrate your fire blasts with your swords which can't be easy to do. Whenever I use my fans to fight, I feel like it's an extension of myself and it comes so naturally to me. But firebending? Studying from a few firebending scrolls isn't the same as studying from a skilled firebender. It doesn't come as naturally to me and even now, all I can do is make fireballs or use it to cover my hand."

I demonstrated by squeezing my hand into a fist and swinging it into a downwards motion, setting my hand on fire. Although I quickly blew it out, the last time I practiced this close to the table, I set the cloth on fire.

"How did you attain a firebending scroll?" Zuko looked generally interested, he even leaned in. "This village isn't a Fire Nation colony and outside the Fire Nation, they're almost impossible to come across."

A small smile broke out on my face, "My Aunt Rin works in the Fire Nation. Besides my parents, she's the only one who knows I'm a firebender and she wanted me to learn how to control them because she's seen what happens when a firebender loses control and it's not pretty." I shuddered, remembering the burns that decorated her right arm.

"My aunt works for some general's family and his youngest son once had the biggest tantrum over something so trivial. I heard that the entire household was filled with candles too. He unintentionally enlarged the flame of one of them and it caught onto her sleeve, setting it on fire."

Zuko took another tentative sip from his cup, this time managing to not look disgusted. "But that still doesn't explain how she obtained the scrolls. She didn't steal them did she? Because the punishment for stealing from your master's house is either banishment, prison or being sent to the colonies."

I scratched my head, I didn't think about that. In fact, I don't know how she gave them to me at all. "Uhhh, well I doubt she got caught because I've had them for around five years and nothing bad has happened to her."

Zuko rolled his eyes, "Then can I see it? It's been two years since I've even looked at anything from my nation."

"Sure," I rose up from my seat. "But close your eyes, I don't want you seeing my hiding place."

"But-" he protested before I gave him a scathing look. "Fine." He complied and started to murmur something under his breath.

I hastily stood up on the kitchen countertop and took my firebending scroll from the top of a cabinet. I jumped down and handed it to him. "Here."

Zuko snatched it out of my hands, unravelling it.

The first line exhibited a man twisting the top half of his body before punching the air, letting out a fire blast. The second line was different yet still had the same aggression of the first line, the figure lifted up his foot while lifting his arms up and stream of fire emerged from his foot. The remaining two poses were the defensive moves. The third line showed the figure punching the air, then lifting his foot over his head while a fire stream arched over his body and he was either creating a fire wall or pushing it towards his opponent. The last line was evidently the most complicated move out of the others. The figure summoned a ball of fire in front of them, pushing it away before pulling it back towards him and used it to create a shield of fire across his upper body.

His eyes dancing across the page, using his index finger to trace the inkings. "Breath, energy, fire." He read out, seemingly more interested in the defensive moves then the attack moves. "Can you do any of these?"

I could feel my collar growing a bit hot, "Not exactly. I can only do two of them, the first and last one. I have no problem using my hands or punching...But using my legs or kicking is another matter entirely." I confessed.

One of the things I've noticed about firebending is that most firebenders rely on sweeping legs and kicks to attack. However, when I try to practice that way I tend to lose my balance or pull a leg muscle.

Zuko leaned back in his chair and observed me. "Then show me what you can do."

I interpreted this as a good sign, maybe he's warming up to the idea of teaching me. I better not mess this up, I need to be in my top form. I took a deep breath, widening my stance so that my feet were shoulder width apart. I straightened my arms in front of me, pushing them out while exhaling and producing a small fire ball in front of me. I used circular arm motions to enlarge it, focusing on it the entire time and trying to monitor my breathing. I wrapped my right arm across my torso, my remaining arm pointing in the opposite direction and attempted to pull it towards me.

I was internally panicking, this was the part where I usually messed up by making the flame so big that it lost control or making it too weak that it didn't cover my body or protect me against incoming projectiles.

'Come on Mani, you can do this.' I thought, 'Just focus on your breathing, it needs to be stable deep breaths instead of shallow breaths.'

Once I deemed the flame to be large enough, I quickly pulled my right hand back to my right hip while pulling my left hand above my left shoulder to hold the stream across me. At first it was going well until I looked smugly at Zuko's face, my fire shield started to splutter until it completely went out. Needless to say, Zuko laughed at my shocked face and even wiped a tear away.

"You know, that wasn't half bad." He commented, "Your stance was correct and so were your motions, but it was a bit stiff. Plus I take it you've never had breathing lessons?"

Well...at least it wasn't a complete insult. "What do you mean my motions were stiff? I did it just like the scroll demonstrated and of course I've never had breathing lessons! I'm the only firebender in this village!" In my anger, I shot a fireball at Zuko but he was easily able to defend himself by widening his arms and dispersing it with a circular movement.

"You're on the right track but that was far too easy to block. It's like the scroll says, firebending comes from proper breath control and correct forms. If you can't master your breathing, how do you expect to firebend correctly." Zuko clarified, "Watch this."

He directed his hands at the stove top, guiding the flame from under the cooking pot and using it to lit all the candles in the room.

"Whoa..." I was in awe, I had never seen anything like this before.

Zuko shushed me, rising his hands above his head and abruptly swung them down, all the candles in the room suddenly went out. The smell of burnt wicks lingered in the room, smoke slightly obscuring my vision.

"How...how did you do that?" I hadn't realised that my breathing had hitched in my throat until I exhaled. Noticing that the cooking pot was now unlit, I pulled my right arm back and shot a fireball to reignite it.

"It's just flame manipulation, no big deal." Zuko was trying his best to sound nonchalant but that was clearly a move for experienced firebenders. "Producing fire from within is more of a struggle then manipulating pre-existing fires, the problem is just making sure the flame doesn't go out. Plus you need to be careful, if the flame is too small it'll go out but if it gets too big, it's harder to control."

"Let me try." I spread both my hands in front of me, focusing on the stove top and the existing flame. I tried to mimic his hand movements but to no avail, the fire kept flickering but it wasn't moving.

Zuko sighed, "You're not going to be able to get it straight away. First of all, the movement should be all in your wrists and don't be so rigid. Maybe you should just focus on-"

"Shhh!" I silenced him, breathing in deeply while closing my eyes. I tried to sense the warmth that was in front of me, feeling inner peace. It's peculiar, every time I close my eyes and focus on every flame that was in the room, it's like I can feel them without seeing them. I centred myself on the fire that was under the cooking pot, I imagined and willed myself to make it go out.

I took another deep breath, holding it in and thought about how the fire had done a good job staying lit despite the draft in the room. I opened my eyes and brought my hands above my head, trying to keep my wrists steady like I did when I practiced with my fans. While exhaling for the final time, simultaneously brought both hands down and at the last second - the flame went out!

"Yes!" I congratulated myself.

Zuko leaned back in his chair, shrugging his shoulders. "Took you long enough and if you didn't act so much like an earthbender, I would almost say you had potential."

After deciphering the compliment wrapped in the insult, I had to resist the urge to throw myself across the table and throttle him. "What do you mean I act like an earthbender?! Maybe you're just confusing normal Earth Kingdom behaviour."

He summoned a fireball between his fingers and threw it at the stove once again. "Trust me, I know what I'm saying. Earthbenders are stubborn and headstrong because they have to be, haven't you noticed how rigid their forms are? The earth is a stubborn element so to move it, you have to have a similar mind set and force it to listen to you. But you don't have to be like that when you're firebending. After all, fire is the only element that doesn't need a pre-existing source to be able to bend it, fire comes from within you. You shouldn't be afraid of it and act cowardly around it like it'll hurt you. But make no mistake, fire also deserves respect. You just need to channel all the rage inside you."

I thought I misheard that last line, "My rage? But I don't have an-"

The front door opened before slamming itself shut, revealing my weary father.

"Papa, what are you doing so late home? Sorry about dinner, it'll be ready soon." I ran to his side to help sit him down, until he froze at the sight of our guest.

"What is he doing here?" Papa started as Zuko rose to his feet, "Don't worry I'm just leav-"

This is ridiculous! I just spent goodness knows how long trying to get Zuko to stay and he's about to leave?!

I pointed my finger at Zuko, "You, sit down! Papa, why don't we go talk in the other room?" I shot Zuko a warning look as I pulled my father out of the room.

Papa sat down on the nearest chair, resting his face in his hands. "Why is this happening to me?"

I was trying my best to reassure him, rubbing his back. "Papa it's okay. Zuko is only staying here until tomorrow morning, I couldn't just let him leave when the sun was setting and he can't be any older than me. Plus he's been teaching me so much about firebending too-"

That was when he burst into tears in front of me, leaving my mouth hanging wide open. I have only seen my father cry one other time in my entire life, and that was three years ago when he found out that Mama was never coming back home.

"I can't lose you too." He coughed out as he took hold of my hand.

"You're not going to lose me." I smiled for his sake, "Look I'm right here next to you. I'm not going anywhere."

He pulled his face up, staring straight into my eyes and I could see the dark circles forming underneath his eyes. "You don't understand. The entire village. They want you gone."

I bolted up, my hands burrowing into my hair. "What do you mean they want me gone? This is my home too!"

Papa got up, resting his hands on both my shoulders. "You're a firebender and after that display, they think you're allied with the disgraced Prince of the Fire Nation who would do anything to regain his honour. I tried to reason with them but...they're giving you until tomorrow to leave. They said you had until noon or else they'll take matters into their own hands."

My thoughts were all over the place, my knees were even shaking. I couldn't believe it, I had been a resident in Plain's Village all my life and it was the only life I knew. I would never survive outside on my own.

Papa took both my hands into his own, "Don't worry little one, I have it all planned out. Your passport is in the pantry along with a small bag of coins, it should be enough to take you to Ba Sing Se. It's the only place free from the Fire Nation and do you remember your mum's brother?"

I cocked my head to the side, "Uncle Sal?"

Papa nodded, "Once you get to Ba Sing Se, find him. He lives in the middle ring and I know it's a long shot but I have to keep you safe. You need to pack a small bag, travel light and only take the necessities. I'll find your documents and anything else that can assist you on your journey. Leave at sunrise, that way you'll have plenty of time to avoid the other villagers. Take Babou with you, I don't expect you to walk the entire journey." On that note, he shoved me out of the room and somehow in my daze, I made it to my room.

Zuko was behind me, watching my movements. "Are you going somewhere?"

I pulled my bag out from under my bed, I don't know why but a grin broke out on my face. "Do you know how to get to Ba Sing Se?"

"How come?"

I sniffed, "You're not the only one who got kicked out of this village."

I stole a glance at him, it was satisfying to see his shocked expression. "Was it because you helped me?"

I snorted, "Don't be so self-absorbed, it's because firebenders aren't welcome here. I knew there was a chance that this day would come, I just didn't expect it to be this soon."

"What are you going to do?" Zuko inquired, analysing the room.

I shrugged, "What else can I do? I asked you, do you know how to get to Ba Sing Se? It's the only place untouched by the Fire Nation and I have some family there. Why don't you join me? It'll probably be safer than for either of us traveling alone. I mean, you're an experienced firebender and I'm skilled in tessenjutsu."

He insistently shook his head, "That's not an option. I left somebody close to me behind because I told them that I had learnt all they had to teach me, to travel with you would just disregard the whole point of my journey."

I picked up my two metal fans, unfolding them to inspect them. "No it wouldn't. You may have learnt everything you could have from that person but what about everything you could learn from me and vice versa? I need a firebending teacher and you're probably heading to Ba Sing Se. Why don't we kill two cranefish with one stone? Once we reach Ba Sing Se, then fine you never have to see me again. What do you say Zuko?"

Hopefully he'll consider my proposal, I really don't think I'll make it to Ba Singe Se by myself. I'm a young girl and there are a lot of bandits out there, I'll be robbed the moment I settle down for camp.

After what seemed like hours, Zuko stroked his chin and hesitantly nodded. "Fine. From a logical standpoint it does seem like travelling with another person would make the most sense. However I do have some conditions, every time I sleep you have to keep watch over everything. We travel on separate ostrich horses and carry our own weight. Plus the moment you start hindering me, our partnership comes to an end. If you abide by these, then I'll teach you everything you'll need to know about firebending. Deal?" He held out his hand in front of me and I shook it firmly.

"Deal but what makes you think that I'll be the one hindering you? After all, you're the disgraced prince of the Fire Nation. There's no telling what bounty must be hanging over your head. You may be putting up this tough act, but honestly? I think it's all a façade. I think secretly you're worried that one of these days, you're going to be ambushed. And it doesn't matter how skilled you are with those swords of yours because if you're significantly outnumbered, you've lost before the battle has even started and maybe having somebody by your side may increase your chances, no matter how little." I raised one of my brows at him, a small smirk breaking out on my lips.

"But don't worry, in her youth my mother was the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors and the best at what she did. She passed her knowledge onto me the moment I was old enough to walk, so I'm the last person who would hinder you." I divulged, folding up my two fans before attaching them underneath the sash around my waist. "But enough talk about these serious matters for now, I think dinner is ready and an early night is in order for the two of us."

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 **China: The next chapter will a bit of a filler because I want chapter 4 to be 'The Chase' which is where Zuko reunited with Iroh and if Mani is accompanying Zuko, she'll be joining the two of them for a while. However, Mani's firebending still needs some work and I want to use the next chapter to develop it a bit before she interacts with the main cast.**


	3. A New Journey

**China: Sorry I haven't updated in a month, I've been stuck a bit with this chapter but it's finished now. Thank you to the 4 people who reviewed the previous chapter along with my new followers and people who favorited this. I hope you enjoy this chapter and the next will be more action packed since it'll be based around 'The Chase'.**

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Zuko and I left at sunrise with nothing but our ostrich horses and personal effects. It was our best option considering we had a lot of ground to cover to reach Ba Sing Se and I don't think anybody wants to be chased out of town by a bunch of angry villagers. Together we could probably have taken them on but I grew up with all of these people, I didn't have it in me to fight them. I peeked in on Papa before leaving, I wanted to bid him farewell but he was asleep. So instead, I kissed his cheek and closed his door as silently as possible.

It was around midday when we finally took a break, my butt was incredibly sore from the saddle and I was relieved for the break.

"You haven't said much since we left this morning, what's on your mind?" Zuko enquired, shooting a fireball into his makeshift fire pit.

I remained silent while stringing up the dried fish I had procured over the flames. Leaving Plain's Village had been more emotionally draining than I originally imagined, I had traded a loving atmosphere for a cranky prince who was only using me for my survival skills. Granted I was doing the same by using Zuko as my firebending instructor. But from all the rumours I've heard about him, he had been banished for the past three years and must have long become used to his situation, whereas my pain was still fresh. Still at least we had one thing in common - neither of us were wanted by our homes.

"How do you manage it?" I finally made out once we had filled our bellies.

"Now you talk, for a minute there I thought you had lost your voice or something, which would have definitely been a blessing." I wasn't sure if he was teasing me or not, Zuko's eyes gave little emotion away and he always spoke in the same tone to me.

"I've heard stories about your banishment. Some say that the Fire Lord was disappointed by your poor bending skills which was a disgrace in his eyes since you were not only his firstborn but the only son. I don't know what to believe in response to such speculation, so all I want to know is how you managed to survive your banishment." I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, "How do you deal with all these...these...these feelings. It hurts, being forced to leave the only world you've ever known and being completely unprepared for it."

Zuko lowered his head, I could tell that this was a sensitive subject for him and I cursed myself for lacking any tact. When he threw his scraps into the fire and started kicking dirt into the embers, it became abundantly clear that he wasn't going to be answering that question anytime soon.

I was partially disappointed until I bitterly laughed at myself after recalling our arrangement. I meant nothing to him and vice versa, there was no point in either of us growing attached because once we reached Ba Sing Se, our paths would become separate. Perhaps the less we knew about each other, the better it would be for the both of us in the long run.

"Are you coming?" Zuko grunted, packing away our cooking utensil and attaching them to his ostrich horse.

"Obviously, it's not like I have other options. "I sighed, checking to see if Babou had eaten and drank enough to continue traveling.

Similar to how a child grows tired once the novelty of running away wears off, all I wanted to do was return home and go back to assisting Papa in his duties. Instead, I mounted Babou and followed Zuko to a destination that neither of us quite knew how to reach.

* * *

I'd like to think that we had made some progress. Once it reached nightfall, I made the decision for us to set up camp rather than tiring us out further by continuing. Plus it had been a long day and my only wish was for it to end. However that wasn't the case, Zuko was sticking to his word and decided that this would be the perfect moment to teach me some firebending techniques.

"Alright, listen up because I'm only going to say this once. Got it?" I paused mid yawn once I felt Zuko's death stare boring into my body.

"Got it oh wise firebending master." I mock bowed.

He violently exhaled, I was getting the sense that Zuko was fighting the urge to attack me.

"The worst time to firebend is at night."

A bead of sweat trickled down my forehead. Why is he only telling me this now considering that one, its nightfall and two, he's meant to be teaching me firebending?

Zuko ignored the perplexed looks that must have been erupting from my face. "A firebender is at their strongest during noon because we gain our power from the sun. Therefore, you should probably avoid getting into any bending battles at this time especially with waterbenders. While a highly skilled firebender has a chance at defeating an airbender, an earthbender or even another firebender, to fight against a waterbender at this time would be suicide. To sum it up in case you weren't paying attention, avoid waterbenders if the sun isn't in the sky."

He repeatedly emphasised the last line over and over again until I was certain that my dreams were going to be plagued by large bodies of water.

"...then why are you teaching me firebending at night if that's the case?!" I exclaimed, trying to summon a large flame in my hand.

Zuko was right, the moon did seem to be affecting my firebending because all I could muster was a medium flame...if I could even call it that.

He snorted, "See. And I'm not teaching you firebending until you learn the basics."

"How is this the basics?" I retorted, it's not like he's not teaching me how to fight or anything.

"Because how do you expect to master firebending if you don't know its strengths and weaknesses. By teaching you this at night, you'll know I'm not lying." Zuko smugly crossed his arms and fell backwards on his sleeping bag.

I grumbled and crossed my legs, snapping my fingers in an attempt to start a fire. I know that I'm a beginner and shouldn't be expecting much, yet I felt cheated...and maybe I wanted to prove Zuko wrong. After many attempts I gave up and decided to practice manipulating the flames from the campfire. I may have to accept my inability to firebend well at night but it just means I have to get more creative by using my surroundings. I noticed that when Zuko started the fire, he used circular arm movements to charge up his flame first before aiming it.

Taking a deep breath in, I tensed up my arms into a circular form and hastily moved them in a clockwise motion before using my fingertips to take a large portion of the fire, weakening it greatly to the point that only a few flaming embers were visible. However the result was better than I expected because the fire was sufficiently augmented.

'Wow, this is something I've never felt before.' I thought, 'it definitely feels stronger than anything I've ever bended before.'

I felt all giddy and wanted to wake Zuko up so I can show him my progress. An entire day hadn't even passed yet and already I was on my way to becoming a proficient firebender. Suddenly the flame started to flicker, forcing me to apply more pressure to it which caused a massive spike that nearly burned my fringe off. I withheld the scream that was building up in my throat and threw the fireball back into the pit.

I hadn't realised how much adrenaline was rushing through my system until I fell back onto my sleeping bag and tiredness overcame my body.


End file.
